Eye contact lens manipulator

ABSTRACT

A device for inserting and removing a contact lens with respect to the eye. The device includes a tubular handle for mounting an oval loop to engage the eye lid to prevent eye blinking and a turnable control shaft with a flexible end portion extending from the handle for mounting a lens inserter and remover, and a finger activated spring filament to move the flexible end portion to and from the eye. The control shaft at the opposite end from the eye lid loop has keyed or secured to it a knurled knob with a reduced portion rotatable in the open end of the handle for turning the shaft and positioning the lens inserter and remover as desired. Also, the reduced portion of the knob includes a spring pressed ball to retain the shaft to its turned positions for lens insertion or lens removal.

ll ite States Patent [191 orres [451 Dec. 25, 1973 4] EYE CONTACT LENSMANIPULATOR [76] inventor: Eugene S. llorres, 1736 Savanah Hwy.,Charleston, S.C.

22 Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 21 Appl.No.:2l)8,156

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.40,879, May 27,

1970, Pat. N0. 3,645,576.

[52] US. Cl l. 294/1 CA, 294/64 R [51] Int. Cl. A6lf 9/00 [58] Field ofSearch 294/1 CA, 64; 73/432; 128/303 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,924,481 2/1960 Wagstaff 294/] CA X 2,919,696 1/1960 Rinaldy294/1 CA X Primary Examiner--Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D.Cherry Attorney-Herbert M. Birch et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A device for inserting and removing a contact lens withrespect to the eye. The device includes a tubular handle for mounting anoval loop to engage the eye lid to prevent eye blinking and a tumablecontrol shaft with a flexible end portion extending from the handle formounting a lens inserter and remover, and a finger activated springfilament to move the flexible end portion to and from the eye. Thecontrol shaft at the opposite end from the eye lid loop has keyed orsecured to it a knurled knob with a reduced portion rotatable in theopen end of the handle for turning the shaft and positioning the lensinserter and remover as desired. Also, the reduced portion of the knobincludes a spring pressed ball to retain the shaft to its turnedpositions for lens insertion or lens removal.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Pmminutczs I975 3.781.050

INVENTOR.

EUGENE S. HORRES 2M 0* @w/A EYE CONTACT LENS MANEPULATOR The presentinvention relates to a device for inserting a contact lens in and forremoving it from the human eye and is a continuation-in-part of my priorcopending application Ser. No. 40,879, filed May 27, 1970, now U.S. Pat.No. 3,645,576, for, An Eye Contact Lens Manipulator.

An object of this invention is to provide a contact lens holdercontrolled for insertion and removing contact lens more efficiently toand from the surface of a person's eyeball.

In my prior co-pending invention there was no adjustable means providedfor selective manipulation of the lens holder to respective lensinserter and remover positions, whereby either insertion or removal ofthe lens may be accomplished.

Also, in combination with means for selective manipulation of the lensholder to lens inserter and lens remover positions the present deviceincludes a non-blink ring for eye lid engagement to prevent blinking ofthe eye during lens insertion or removal.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a turnablecontrol shaft in a tubular handle with a bore formed to receive andmount the turnable shaft which is formed with a flexible spring sectionfor mounting the lens changer or holder at its distal end, and with aknurled knob at the opposite end of the turnable shaft having a reducedportion secured to the turnable shaft in the end of the handle, wherebythe knob is exposed for turning to position the lens changer or holderto selected positions.

Still another object is to provide in combination with a lens insertionand remover means mounted at the flexible resilient free end of arotable shaft, a novel resilient spring filament juxtaposed for fingeractivation into engagement with the said flexible resilient 'end of therotatable shaft, whereby a lens carried by the lens insertion andremover means may be processedwith respect to the eye.

These and still further objects, advantages and features of theinvention will be apparent from the following description consideredtogether with the accompanying drawing.

In. the drawing:

FIG. 11 is a side view of-an embodiment of my invention assembled and inposition with respect to the eyeball of a person showing the lens in theinserterportion of the combined lens inserter and remover positioned toinsert a lens including the finger activated spring filament for thelens changer;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

F IG. 3 is a second embodiment of the invention wherein the fingeractivated filament is attached to the control shaft per se.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numeralsdesignate like parts, the embodiment herein illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2comprises a tubular handle open at each opposite end formed of anysuitable material, such as plastic, metal or the like similar to myabove-identified prior co-pending application. This handle is formed atone end with a socket l3 and receives the parallel fingers 12, 12 of theoval loop ll for contact with the eye lid to prevent eye blinking whenthe lens are being inserted or removed as shown in my application Ser.No. 40,879.

Now with further reference to FIG. 2, the handle 10 serves to mount anelongated turnable control shaft 14 formed at one end with a flexiblesection, such as a resilient filament of spring metal or other suitablematerial l4a. The extended end of flexible section 14a is formed with asuitable loop 15 to mount a lens inserter and lens remover 16 comprisedof a reduced midsection or mid-riff 18 and lens remover and inserterportions 19 and 20, respectively. Such loop may be formed as in FlG. l,which is in like manner to the portion 17 of my prior co-pendingapplication and may engage around the mid-riff 18 of the lens changermember 16, to thereby permit the member 16 to be turned with respect toa persons eyeball as required.

To turn the member 16, the control shaft has mounted on an end thereofaknurled knob 21 formed with a reduced portion 22 and a laterally springbiased ball 24 engageable with the annular surface 25 of the bore of thehandle 10 when assembled.

This spring loaded ball will frictionally engage the bore surface 25 andhold the control rod set to provide proper selected positions of thelens inserter or remover portions 19 and 20 of the member 16 as desired.

Assembled FIG. 1 illustrates the respective positions of the eyeball E,the lid engaging oval ring or loop 11, lens inserter and remover member16, and a finger activated spring filament 26 mounted in the end bore ofthe handle 10 for contacting with the flexible spring end 14a of thecontrol shaft 14 when a finger button 28 carried by the spring filament26 is pressed, to thereby impart engagement with the flexible spring 14awhich carries the lens changer member 16.

A second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the finger buttonactivator filament spring of FIGS. 1 and 2 is eliminated. ln thisarrangement contact by the users finger is made directly with theflexible spring section of the control shaft 14. Otherwise operation issimilar to the first embodiment and the lens inserter is flipped orturned by the turning knob 21 and the remover portion 19 of the vacuumlens holder 20 is pressed to release the lens L as desired.

The lens changer is preferably as disclosed in my above-identified priorapplication and comprises a soft rubber suction cup 20 manuallyreleasable by pressure on the portion 19, as illustrated. Withoutfurther description, it is believed that the advantages over the priorart are apparent and while only two embodiments are illustrated, it isto be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto asvarious changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of theparts illustrated, as will now likely occur to others skilled in theart.

I claim:

l. A device for insertion or removal of contact lens from an eyeballcomprising a tubular handle with a bore, a mounting means at an end ofthe handle in the bore, a control shaft having a relatively rigid mainportion and a flexible resilient filament formed with retainer means onits distal end extending through the handle, a contact lens holdermounted on the distal end in said retainer means of said resilientfilament, and a knob on the opposite end of said control shaft forturning said shaft to impart movement to position the said lens holderand a resilient activator means mounted at an end of the handlejuxtaposed with respect to said resilient filament for moving said lensholder to and from the eyeball as required for lens insertion orremoval.

2. A contact lens inserter and remover comprising a handle, a lensholder mounted at an end of the handle, a shaft rotatably mounted in thehandle and extending from each end of the handle, means carried by theshaft turnable to rotate the shaft, said means comprising a knob securedto the said shaft at the end opposite to said lens holder end toposition the lens holder to inserting or removal positions, and aflexible spring filament connected to an end of said shaft looped arounda portion of said lens holder, whereby the said filament ment forcontact lens insertion or removal.

1. A device for insertion or removal of contact lens from an eyeballcomprising a tubular handle with a bore, a mounting means at an end ofthe handle in the bore, a control shaft having a relatively rigid mainportion and a flexible resilient filament formed with retainer means onits distal end extending through the handle, a contact lens holdermounted on the distal end in said retainer means of said resilientfilament, and a knob on the opposite end of said control shaft forturning said shaft to impart movement to position the said lens holderand a resilient activator means mounted at an end of the handlejuxtaposed with respect to said resilient filament for moving said lensholder to and from the eyeball as required for lens insertion orremOval.
 2. A contact lens inserter and remover comprising a handle, alens holder mounted at an end of the handle, a shaft rotatably mountedin the handle and extending from each end of the handle, means carriedby the shaft turnable to rotate the shaft, said means comprising a knobsecured to the said shaft at the end opposite to said lens holder end toposition the lens holder to inserting or removal positions, and aflexible spring filament connected to an end of said shaft looped arounda portion of said lens holder, whereby the said filament may be fingerpressed into lens insertion position with respect to an eyeball, saidhandle comprising a hollow tube and including a second resilient springfilament extending from an end thereof in juxtaposed spaced relationwith respect to the said flexible spring filament looped around aportion of said lens holder, whereby said second spring filament may bemanually pressed into engagement with said first mentioned springfilament for contact lens insertion or removal.